then know to have been tranflated by Rowe. When he had refided at his college three years, he was prefented to the rectory of Pimpern in Dorsetshire (1722) by his relation, Mr. Pitt of Stratfieldfea in Hampshire; and, refigning his fellowship, continued at Oxford two years longer, till he became Master of Arts (1724).

He probably about this time tranflated "Vida's Art of Poetry." In this tranflation he distinguished himself, both by its general elegance, and by the skilful adaptation of his numbers to the images expreffed. He then retired to his living, where he paffed the reft of his life, reverenced for his virtue, and beloved for the foftness of his temper and the eafinefs of his manners.

At what time he compofed his " Mifcellany," publifhed in 1727, it is not neceffary to know. The fuccefs of his "Vida" animated him to a higher undertaking, and in his thirtieth year he publifhed a verfion of the firft book of the "Æneid." He fome time afterwards added three or four more. At laft he gave us a complete "English Æneid," which, joined to that of Dryden's, Johnson declares to be the two beft tranflations that perhaps were ever produced by one nation of the fame author.

He did not long enjoy the reputation which this great work defervedly conferred; for he left the world in 1748, and is buried at Blandford.

TH

PARNELL.

HOMAS PARNELL was the fon of a common wealth's man, who at the Restoration left Congleton in Cheshire, and, fettling in Ireland, purchased an eftate, which, with his lands in Cheshire, defcended to the poet, who was born in Dublin in 1679, and,

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after

after the ufual education of a Grammar-fchool, `was at the age of thirteen admitted into the college, where in 1700 he became Master of Arts; and was the fame year ordained a deacon, though under the canonical age, by a dipenfation from the Bishop of Derry.

About three years afterwards he was made a prieft; and in 1705, Dr. Afhe, the Bishop of Clogher, conferred upon him the Archdeaconry of Clogher. About the fame time he married Mrs. Anne Minchin, an amiable lady, by whom he had two fons who died young, and a daughter who long furvived him.

At the ejection of the whigs, in the end of Queen Anne's reign, Parnell was perfuaded to change his party, and was received by the new miniftry as a valuable reinforcement. He was defirous to make himfelf confpicuous, and to fhew how worthy he was of high preferment; as he thought himfelf qualified to become a popular preacher, he difplayed his elocution with great fuccefs in the pulpits of London; but the Queen's death, putting an end to his expectations, abated his diligence: and Pope reprefents him as falling from that time into intemperance of wine. This is imputed to the untimely death of a darling fon; or, as others fay, the lofs of his wife, who died (1712) in the midst of his expectations.

He was now warmly recommended by Swift to Archbishop King, who gave him a Prebend in 1713; and in May 1716 prefented him to the vicarage of Finglafs in the diocese of Dublin, worth four hundred pounds a year. Such notice from fuch a man may make one reasonably believe, that the vice of which he has been accused was either not grofs or not notorious.

But his profperity did not last long. His end, whatever was its caufe, was now approaching. He enjoyed his preferment little more than a year; for in

July

July 1717, in his thirty-eighth year, he died at Chester, on his way to Ireland.

Johnfon informs us, that the above account of Parnell is extracted from Goldfmith's life of that poet.

As a writer, the great critic thus characterifes him: "The Night-piece on Death" is indirectly preferred by Goldfmith to "Gray's Church-yard;" but in my opinion Gray has the advantage in dignity, variety, and originality of fentiment. He obferves, that the ftory of the "Hermit" is in "More's Dialogues" and "Howell's Letters," and fuppofes it to be originally Arabian.

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Goldsmith has not taken any notice of the "Ele gy to the Old Beauty," which is perhaps the meanest, nor of the "Allegory on Man," the happieft of Parnell's performances. The hint of the "Hymn to Contentment" I fufpect to have been borrowed from Cleiveland.

"The general character of Parnell is not great extent of comprehenfion, or fertility of mind. Of the little that appears, ftill less is his own. His praise must be derived from the easy sweetness of his diction: in his verses there is more happiness than pains; he is fprightly without effort, and always delights though he never ravishes; every thing is proper, yet every thing feems cafual. If there is fome appearance of elaboration in the "Hermit," the narrative, as it is less airy, is lefs pleasing."

AMBROSE PHILIPS.

THE

HE birth or early part of the life of Ambrofe Philips is not known. His academical education he received at St. John's College in Cambridge, where he firft folicited the notice of the world by fome English verfes in the collection published by the Univerfity on the death of Queen Mary.

From this time, how he was employed, or in what station he paffed his life, is not yet difcovered. He muft have published his Paftorals before the year 1708, because they are evidently prior to thofe of Pope.

He afterwards (1709) addreffed to the univerfal patron, the Duke of Dorfet, "A Poetical Letter from Cambridge," which was published in the "Tatler," and is by Pope, in one of his first letters, mentioned with high praife, as the production of a man who could write very nobly.

After tranflating the "Perfian Tales," he was employed in promoting the principles of his party (the Whigs) by epitomizing Hacket's "Life of Archbishop Williams." In 1712 he brought upon the stage the "Diftreft Mother," almoft a tranflation of Racine's "Andromaque." Before the appearance of the play a whole "Spectator" was devoted to its praife; while it continued to be acted, another " Spectator" was written. On the first night a felect audience, fays Pope, was called together to applaud it. It was concluded with the moft fuccefsful Epilogue that was ever fpoken on the English Theatre. The three first nights it was recited twice; and not only continued to be demanded through the run, but whenever it is recalled

to the stage, where, by peculiar fortune, it yet keeps its place, the Epilogue is ftill expected, and is ftill fpoken. The reputed author of it was Budgel, but the real one Addifon.

Philips was now high in the ranks of literature, His tranflations from Sappho were first published in the "Spectator." But the work which had procured him the first notice from the publick was his fix Pastorals. Not long afterwards Pope made the first display of his powers in four.Paftorals, written in a very different form. Philips had taken Spenfer, and Pope took Virgil for his pattern. Philips endeavoured to be natural, Pope laboured to be elegant. A comparison of thefe performances was made, and at laft a contro verfy enfued between the two poets, which ended in their perpetual enmity.

When upon the fucceffion of the House of Hanover every Whig expected to be happy, Philips feems to have obtained too little notice. He was only made a Commiffioner of the Lottery (1717) and a Juftice of the Peace. In 1721 he produced another tragedy called "The Briton," which, whatever was its reception, is now neglected, as is alfo one, which appeared the fame year, founded on the story of " Humphry Duke of Gloucefter."

His happiest undertaking was of a paper called the "Freethinker,” in conjunction with affociates, of whom one was Doctor Boulter, who, from being only minister of a parish in Southwark, was made Bishop of Bristol, and afterwards Primate of Ireland. When he was advanced to the height of ecclefiaftical dignity, he did not forget the companion of his labours. Knowing Philips to be flenderly fupported, he took him to Ireland as partaker of his fortune, and, making him his fecretary, added fuch preferments as enabled him to reprefent the county of Armagh in the Irish Parliament. In December 1726 he was made Secretary

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